Power Plague
Since the 1996 deregulation of California's energy utility industry, only 1 percent of PG&E's 4.5 million customers has made the switch. What gives?

Paralegal EmigrantsSanta Clara--Due to declining enrollment, Santa Clara University's law school announced it will shutter its Institute for Paralegal Studies in 1999. But it's all a cruel joke for those that opt for law school instead: more and more law students end up doing paralegal work after graduating.

Porn ScarGilroy--Students at Gilroy High School are finding that information on the Internet is more than a click away. Since the district installed software meant to filter out pornography, information for a research paper can be as far as ten blocks away--at the county library, where anyone can still surf the 'Net without the intrusive program.

Dam ProblemsLos Gatos--The dam at Lexington Reservoir isn't failing. That was the first thing Santa Clara Valley Water District engineers determined about the most recent problems inside the dam. But the rest remains a mystery.

Blackboard JungleBerryessa--The Berryessa Union School District has taken on an increasingly embattled appearance as members of the Santa Clara County Grand Jury have begun monitoring school board meetings, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has cleared the way for a second employment discrimination investigation.